Tax Strategies

Here come the holidays and everything that goes with them – traveling, cooking, buying gifts, and of course, spending time with the people we love. It’s a busy time of year when finances can take a back seat, but don’t wait to review your tax situation. Here are four things you can do by the end of the year that could help lower your 2020 tax bill. Review Your Retirement Account Contributions And Distributions Starting at [...]

Most people assume that their tax burden will dramatically decrease in retirement once they stop receiving a paycheck, but this isn’t always true. A high tax bill is one retirement risk to be aware of and to try and mitigate. We may be experiencing relatively low taxes right now, but a change in leadership in Washington and a growing national debt could change that. Let’s look at 3 reasons why your tax burden could increase in [...]

The revised tax day date, July 15th, is upon us, and there are several important things to note, whether you’ve filed already or not. While our tax bill might only be at the forefront of our minds during one time of the year, the reality is that financial moves throughout the year can impact your tax bill in the short-term and for years to come. There could be opportunities to take advantage of that would help [...]

As the coronavirus spread, the government stepped in with unprecedented economic interventions, from direct payments to Americans, to relief for businesses. While these measures may be necessary to mitigate the damage done by the virus and the economic shutdown, they’ve also resulted in a ballooning of the national deficit.[1] U.S. government debt could soon rise to 130% or 140% of gross domestic product, as compared to last year when it was around 100%.[2] Many experts predict [...]

No one can fully escape taxes, but you do have some say in when you pay them. Different types of retirement income are taxed at different times. Orchestrating these sources in retirement can take some work, as the rules for each differ. Under the umbrella of tax-advantaged income sources, there are those that require taxes to be paid now, and others that require taxes to be paid later. While this may seem unimportant, it can make [...]

They say there’s no such thing as a free lunch, but what about a tax-deductible lunch? While many of your income sources can be taxed, there are strategies to minimize your overall tax burden before and in retirement. One of the advantages of going to one professional for all of your financial planning needs is that everything from investment strategies to Social Security Maximization to income planning works together in one overall plan. Some advisors can [...]

One truth becomes apparent at tax time: Taxes are complicated. Even if the tax code were to never change, your bracket, filing status, or withholding might. Common life events like marriage, divorce, and your children leaving the nest can mean that you need to adjust your withholding. Knowing when to adjust your withholding is an important thing to understand about taxes in retirement: If too much money is withheld, you’ll have to wait until after you [...]